By CATHY ARONSON
HAMILTON - Environment Waikato is prosecuting the Auckland-Waikato Fish and Game Council for creating 25 ponds in the Whangamarino wetlands without a consent.
The regional council claims that vegetation was stripped and water diverted to create the ponds with diggers.
It says this has the potential to have an adverse effect on the environment.
But game council manager Doug Emmett said the work was done on the 250ha block to rehabilitate the wetland and attract wildlife.
Mr Emmett said the game council owned 1700ha of the Whangamarino wetland primarily to save the degraded resource.
He said Environment Waikato had approved the proposal two years ago before the work started.
Environment Waikato's utilities manager, Nath Prichard, said the staff had believed the work would not be as extensive. He said work on a stop bank also had the potential to increase flooding of neighbouring properties.
Mr Prichard said the game council had now applied for a resource consent and the long-term effects on the wetlands would be evaluated during the hearings.
But Mr Emmett said the wetlands had been bought for rehabilitation to attract wildlife. Hunters used the area only six weeks a year.
He said the ponds had been made by pulling out willow trees to encourage natives such as ferns and flax to grow. Next year native trees would also be planted.
Mr Emmett said long-term results would not show for another five years but the land was already looking better.
"We purchased the wetlands because they are a rare resource, more biodiverse than a tropical rain forest. We put our licence money back into creating a natural environment which attracts wildlife. Why would we want to destroy it?"
Mr Emmett said Environment Waikato had known the extent of the project and the game council had acted in good faith.
The wetland supports more than 20,000 waterfowl and large populations of rare plants and animals.
Court action over ponds in Waikato wetlands
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